Imposition of Excise Tax on Single-use Plastic Bags

Published on March 5, 2023

The proposed excise tax on plastic bags is the Philippines’ contribution to the global movement to reduce pollution and adopt more sustainable practices, while at the same time raising much-needed revenues to spur our economic recovery.

Market-based instruments, such as taxes, aimed at discouraging the use of single-use plastics, have shown to be effective in reducing the generation of plastic waste and its leakage into the environment.

The proposal promotes the use of recyclable packaging thereby replacing the “throw-away culture”, reducing single-use plastic wastes, and addressing the problem of plastic wastes ending up in our oceans and waterways.